Children are 71% more likely to develop mental health problems between the ages of 5 and 18 if the firstborn child in their family experienced early adversity, according to a study in The Lancet Public Health. Using electronic health records of 333,048 mothers and their 534,904 children in the United Kingdom, researchers assessed adverse childhood experiences in firstborn children during the period 1 year before and 2 years following their birth, including child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, maternal substance misuse, maternal mental health problems, adverse family environments (such as homelessness), and high-risk presentations of child maltreatment. More than one third (37.1%) of firstborn children had at least one adverse childhood experience. Mothers whose firstborn children were exposed to adversity had 1.71 times as many children with mental health problems. Firstborn children with adverse childhood experiences and their siblings were also more likely to have been admitted to the emergency department and have contact with mental health professionals.

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